


Olive

by yeaka



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:53:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22352893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Adam picks up an android.
Kudos: 13





	Olive

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Detroit: Become Human or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

They seriously need a better car, and maybe a second one, so when his mother’s busy, Adam doesn’t have to carry groceries home in the snow. It’s bad enough having to lug all his gear around, because he’ll freeze to death if he doesn’t wear a heavy jacket and heavier boots, but he’s got a full fabric bag in either arm weighing him right down to the concrete. He can’t even _see_ the concrete. Everything’s covered in a thick layer of white. Including him. It’s still coming down, soaking through his hat, and his nose keeps threatening to run, but he has no hands to wipe it with. It sucks.

His mother would say to be grateful for what he does have. At least he has a house to go home to. He sees a figure huddled in the open mouth of an alley up ahead, and a stab of pity runs through him, until he sees the slight sliver of yellow flickering under the man’s toque. An LED. An _android._ He didn’t think androids could be homeless. If he had one and didn’t want it anymore, he’d trade it in for cash, and the deviants he’s known kept more out of sight, rather than just lolling about out in the open.

Granted, deviants don’t have a lot of places to go. Obviously this one hasn’t heard of Adam’s mother. And he doesn’t want to tell the guy. Except as he gets closer, he starts to realize just how much of the android’s pale skin is frostbitten, and that sympathy swells up again even though he tells himself _it’s just a machine._ There’s no reason to feel sorry for it. _It_ can’t _feel_. It’s not like it’s cold or hungry. Just... lost.

Adam reaches it and means to just keep walking, except it glances up at him, and its green eyes look so deep that Adam finds himself halting in his tracks. 

He hates himself for engaging when it’ll only bring him trouble, but he asks, “What’re you doing?”

The android blinks at him. Its eyelashes have snow stuck in them. Its red hair is frozen beneath its toque, and its torn overcoat has stuffing leaking out the side. It looks in miserable shape, but its voice is chipper and friendly when it answers, “I don’t know. We left together, but I got separated... I lost my friends...” It spares a hopeless look left and right out the ends of the alley, but there’s no one else there. 

Adam finds himself hollowly repeating, “Friends?” He didn’t think machines could have those. 

The android nods its head emphatically. “Yup. Lots of them... I wanted to see them again, but... I suppose I’ll shut down soon, so it won’t matter...” Those green eyes turn back to Adam, big and beautiful, so bizarrely _charming_ ; the android has a soft, warm face like it was made to be endearing. It’s working. Its LED keeps blinking, like it’s experiencing trouble, maybe the android equivalent of pain—maybe the cold will freeze its circuits over and it’ll _die_.

Adam feels _bad_ for it. He shouldn’t, but he does. He can’t seem to bring himself to just keep walking and leave it to die. 

He sucks in a breath and begrudgingly offers, “You can come home with me.”

The android blinks at him, expression lilting into surprise. It doesn’t look alarmed, but Adam clarifies anyway, “Not to, like, enslave your or anything, I’m not an asshole... just... I dunno. So you don’t shut down.”

The smile the android dons is devastating. It’s so wholesome and _trusting_. The android pushes up to its feet and breathes, “Thank you.”

Adam stiffly nods. 

The android bubbles, “I’m Jerry, by the way. It’s nice to meet you!”

Adam grunts, “Adam.”

“ _Adam_ ,” Jerry repeats, humming his name like a prayer. Then Jerry lurches forward. Adam tenses automatically, waiting for the blow to come, but Jerry just wraps around him in a colossal hug. Jerry holds him tight, bristling with palpable gratitude. It brings a blush to Adam’s frigid cheeks. Maybe he can sort of see why his mother’s such a softie. 

When Jerry finally detangles, he takes one of Adam’s shopping bags without needing to be asked. Adam lets it happen, because it’s a relief to lose the weight. 

They walk home together, like brand new friends headed for good times.


End file.
